Predictions for the Future of the City

By the year 2050, it’s estimated that two-thirds of the population will be living in urban areas. As a result, city infrastructures will have to change dramatically in order to cope with demand.Thankfully, developments like artificial intelligence, the internet of things (IoT) and big data will lead to smart cities. Cities that think and react like a human brain. Here are Innovate UK’s predictions for the future of the city.

A Revolutionised Transport Network

By 2050, this tech is likely to be the norm. Your journey will be spent catching up on work orentertainment. The everyday hassle of finding a parking space will no longer be an issue. Yourvehicle will drop you at your location and find its own optimised space.

So what about public transport?

Public transport is going to be unrecognisable. The timetabled and scheduled services we have in place today will become a thing of the past. Instead we’ll see driverless pods transporting passengers to and from their destination. We’ll hail these in the same way we order an Uber today. The driverless pods will be connected so only the most efficient pod will pick you up. You won’t need to make a physical payment for these either. Your fare will be automatically calculated upon boarding and leaving by IoT tech linking the pod to your preferred payment method.

The highly efficient transport network will lead to lower car ownership figures. This, coupled with a switch to renewable energy, will lead to cleaner air and the creation of more open green spaces within cities.

Smart & Sustainable Buildings

Public buildings are set to become smarter and aware of their surroundings. They will monitor data in a bid to constantly improve themselves. They’ll use this data to run at optimum efficiency and also ensure each occupant is safe and comfortable.

Through the use of technology like solar windows, buildings will gather their own energy andbecome entirely self-sufficient. If they have any energy left over, it’ll be offered to vehicles in the local area to ensure no one runs dry.

A New Kind of Shopping Experience

Augmented reality is likely to reshape our shopping experience. When shopping for clothing, we’ll be assigned an interactive mirror which shows what outfits would look like on us, they’ll let us customise items and even offer some intelligently selected alternatives. Stores will already know our size, preferences and upcoming social calendar. They will make relevant suggestions based upon this.